Heineken's 'Departure Roulette': Best. Marketing. Ever.

Sometimes you stumble upon marketing that is just flippin' awesome. Today, that's Heineken. As part of its global Legends campaign, Heineken released a video about a game of Departure Roulette it played with airport travelers.

The concept? Heineken sets up a Departure Roulette board, and tells travelers they can trade in their airline tickets for wherever they're flying now, and agree to go to whatever destination the Departure Roulette board randomly turns up. They are just ... #dropped somewhere. (That wasn't a hashtag hijack; that's the hashtag for their campaign.)

Try to watch it and not get excited.

Why is this video awesome? I think it's because it makes you think of possibilities. We're all really good at making excuses for why we can't do something ... but what if you totally could do it? Right now. No excuses.

And in watching the people who actually jump at the chance to play this game, and the emotions they go through -- when they decide they're actually going to do this, before they hit that red button, when they see the locations flipping through, when they think about what location they'll land on, when they see where they're going, when they realize OMG, I'm actually doing this -- the viewers go through all of it, too.

The video ends with a great screenshot, too. The Departure Roulette board says "Drop everything. Push button. Commit to: WHAT WOULD YOU DO."

My only question is ... do they provide hotel accommodations, too? ;-)

Love the Hubspot blogposts and Emails. Love the new Heineken Ad even more. Kudos to both! As an Autism Specialist turned professional speaker, and educational technology consultant, I have long praised marketing campaigns that use humor, showcase differences in gender Theory of Mind, and have unexpected punchlines, like the Departure Roulette commercial. I have been showcasing another Heineken ad in my North American seminars for 3 years:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=5Tmr2RCTqg0
Visual Digitalization is the driving force behind new trends in social media, but at the end of the day, it's finding the absurd in the human condition, and "sharing a moment" by collectively laughing about it, that spurns collective change, promotes content marketing, and gives the competitive, solitary, sometimes grueling nature of entrepreneurship its wings to be free, and be more in touch with humanity.
This post is making me rethink things........and maybe attend iNbound 2013 :)
Penina Rybak MA/CCC-SLP
CEO Socially Speaking LLC
Twitter: @PopGoesPenina
Director: The NICE Initiative for Female Entrepreneurs (TBA)
Author: The NICE Reboot: A Guide for Female Entrepreneurs (TBA)

I was ready to dive right into my monitor so I could push that button. Then I started thinking, What about my passport? What shots do I need? I don't have the right clothes. What about my bafflegab talk I'm scheduled to make?
But the #1 thing is, it would be suicide for me to go and not take my wife! If she's there and going with me, we're gone!
So, practically speaking: Heinekin is already one of my favorite beers, so this won't prompt me to buy any more. What do the Hubspot genii say about that situation?

Corey - I was wondering the same thing.... what about hotel accommodations? And how long do they stay? Love this campaign. I could totally put myself into the place of the folks who both did and didn't push the button. Cyprus -- I'd die to go there!

Jerry

I don't drink the beer (I don't drink anything Inbev sells), but this is a very cool campaign and an even more thought-provoking idea.
I suppose could just drop everything. What's the worst that could happen?

Denny

Really? What is your life about that you have travel plans and you can just blow off the people on the other end? Is this a trip to exotic places that costs thousands for just the airfare? Like others have said, what happens (expenses/accommodations) when I get there? And then, the original ticket and getting back home?
If I opted for this, and Heinie paid for it all and even took vids of my wild wonderful time and turned into a social media compaign, okay, THAT's great marketing. The other scenario, where I have all of these questions - not so great. BTW, I love Heinies and have for 20 years!

Brilliant, just loved the whole concept...would I press the button...hmmmm.guess its something you don't know for sure until the time.
Hey, maybe it would depend on the amount of Heinekens I'd had. Which kinda makes the thing into a loop?

Amazing idea! Will be a great marketing concept - get people talking and watching about the concept and if they would drop everything - and in turn the brand!

Judd

Why is this great marketing? Do you want to drink Heineken now or do you just want to push the button? No, didn't think so. Catchy, creative, and sticky? Sure. But likely to make you change your beer drinking decision? No. So, therefore....Most Mediocre. Marketing. Ever.

Hahaaaa!
Hairy Maclary towards the end there was pretty keen to get away from his Mrs....
What a great idea! Heineken anyone?
@Robin. It's not always about selling. Sometimes it's about creating a buzz, and this is doing quite well on social media channels.

WOW...this is pure genius! I think this campaign speaks volumes about knowing your marketing personas. As far as this campaign there are three types of people 1. tourists, 2 adventurers and 3. Excuse makers. Working in the travel business we see this all the time. I've been all over this planet, mostly by myself and I do enjoy traveling that way. It forces you out of your comfort zone and makes you think more creatively and differently.
Kudos Heineken!

Kristin S

I would do this in a second...I was reading an article that said they paid for flights, hotels and transport and provided the people with $2000 for anything else they wanted to do...
I say I'd do this - but I wonder if push came to shove would I really push the button.

This was a great commercial, showing people emotions through taking a risk. I enjoyed every bit of it. It actually reminds me a lot about the emotions that myself and other entrepreneurs and small businesses go through taking that chance a leap of faith on our decision making.

Andrew H

It's a very cool concept for sure and I love the idea. But I'm not sure I understand it from Heineken's perspective. Is Heineken the "adventure beer"? Or are they trying to be? It just doesn't seem to fit their brand to me. If it was someone like Dos Equis it would make completesense to me, because it fits with their "Most Interesting Man in the World" campaign and their branding message in general.

This is an awesome marketing campaign that will have people talking for a long time and also have them re-think about their own personal situation.
Regarding the questions about acommodations that some have on this post, below is what I copied from Fodor's post:
"Airfare and accommodation were comped, and they also got $2,000 from Heineken to cover extra costs."
I only have one thing to say, "Point me to the button!"

First of all, their target market are affluent beer drinkers, which are not vagabonds who can change flight plans at the drop of a hat. Who is this supposed to appeal to?
And what does this have to do with beer?
Are they trying to copy the "Most Interesting Man in the World Campaign?" If so they failed miserably. How is this great marketing? This is utter crazy-pants-ness.

For those saying this isn't good marketing because it 'wouldn't make them buy a Heineken', you're missing the point.
This is about the fact that it's a different idea, the buzz, the compelling viewing, about the gamble, the virality, about people asking themselves whether they'd 'push' the button should the circumstances allow...
And all with Heineken's branding stamped over it - what more of a result could they have asked for? Beats talking frogs...

This has nothing to do with beer but it's going to get everyone buzzing - that's huge. Once this spreads a little bit more, everyone's going to ask their friends what they do? I love the creativity. I'd definitely push the button!

Nice commercial and awesome marketing campaign, people will start to talk about this with friends would you push the button!?.

Alex

I think this is an awesome ad campaign! Of course, if I was going somewhere for work or something I couldn't miss (funeral, bachelor party etc) I wouldn't do it. Otherwise, heck yeah!
I've read several reports stating that this is real, airfare and accommodation are paid for and the participants get $2,000 spending money.
Is this could marketing for Heineken? I think YES! Imagine you're at the pub with some mates, you've got plans at home which you're not really that psyched about and/or aren't important. They say, "Come on! Stay for a while longer. Have another beer!". Declining their offer wouldn't be as fun and adventurous as accepting it because what happens if you say "sure, why not" will probably be more fun and unpredictable. This is basically that but on a bigger scale.